SWEAT TEST
-most popular
-inexpensive
-painless
-measures the amount of
salt in the sweat.
-patient is given special
medicine to produce sweat.
-piece of gauze is then placed
over an area of skin, usually on
forearm, and wrapped in plastic
for 30 minutes.
-gentle electrical current applied
to gauze covered area.
-gauze is removed and tested.
-a reading of 60 or more tells that
a person has CF.
-a second test is done at a later
date to confirm the first test.
IRT(immunoreactive trypsinogen test)
-used on newborns (they don't have
sweat glands yet)
-blood is drawn 2-3 days after birth
-analyzed for protein trypsinogen
-positive IRT can be confirmed later
with a sweat test and genetic testing.
-show details of the lungs
LUNG FUNCTION TEST
-shows abnormal airways
-swelling, inflammation, and growths.
-measures how longs can perform
-how much air they hold
ANALYSIS OF STOOL SAMPLES
-shows any digestive problems
-high fat in stool
-shows lack of enzymes
-will float
FETAL TESTING
-genetic testing (before birth)
-will identify about 90% of all
carriers and PWCF.
There are many ways that parents can prevent having a child with Cystic Fibrosis or be better prepared.
-DNA testing before birth for
the pair of mutated CFTR
genes.
-before marriage spouses can be
tested to see if they're carriers
of the defective gene
-if history of CF carriers or
PWCF in family.
-in invitrofertilization--take one
sperm cell and one egg cell,
extract the CF genes from both
and then fertilize the CF free
egg cell with the CF free sperm
cell.
-very expensive
-need to know in advance that
parents are carriers.
